Two North Carolina brothers have each been awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars from the state, three decades after wrongful convictions in the killing an 11-year-old girl landed one on death row and the other in prison for a life sentence.

On Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner J. Brad Donovan of the North Carolina Industrial Commission awarded Henry McCollum and his half brother Leon Brown $750,000 each for their wrongful conviction and imprisonment for 30 years.

Advertisement

The two were pardoned in June, and a judge ordered their release last September. The judge cited new DNA evidence that indicates another man killed and raped Sabrina Buie in 1983.

Donovan says the funds will be available after a period of 15 days. That is required in case the state appeals. The state treasury can then disburse the money.

Marc Snead of the state Department of Justice says the state agrees the men should get the money.

McCollum appeared at the hearing, calm and wearing a gray suit, but Brown was not there. Brown has been hospitalized for mental health issues exacerbated by his time in prison.

McCollum had been the longest-serving inmate on North Carolina's death row before the pair was released from prison.

An attorney representing the brothers filed a federal lawsuit Monday against the county and town where the killing happened, as well as investigators involved in the case. The lawsuit alleges the brothers' civil rights were violated.

Attorney Patrick Megaro said in a news release that the defendants in the lawsuit "grossly abused their authority" and "took advantage of two mentally-disabled teenagers."